So far in the young volleyball season, Americas High School has been steady en route to a impressive 12-1 record.

On Saturday afternoon, the No. 5-ranked Trailblazers gave a glimpse into how they might do in District 1-5A with a 25-10, 25-21 victory against district rival Eastwood in the finals of the Montwood Tournament.

"We have players who have a lot of experience now on the varsity and we are doing some really good things and playing well as a team," Trailblazers coach Alicia Gomez said. "We had lots of people step up against Eastwood and do a good job."

One of those players was senior outside hitter Joclyn Gruenewald. Gruenewald, who earned herself a spot on the all-tournament team, had nine kills and four blocks.

Gruenewald and senior middle blocker Malshoniq Weston set the tone early with three straight double-blocks to start the match and the Trailblazers never looked back.

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"We work hard on a lot of different situations in practice," Gruenewald said. "Our defense is something that is a strength for us and we came out strong to start the match. We had so many people come through for us against a good Eastwood team.

"We believe in each other and we are confident that anyone can get the job done."

Weston added four blocks and three kills, senior outside hitter Jackie Baro had three kills and two service aces, while senior setter Gabby Enriquez had 22 assists.

REPORTER

Felix Chavez

"We came out with a lot of intensity. In that first game, everything went right. In the second game, Eastwood made a strong push, but we made plays when we had to," Baro said. "We've been playing really well to start the season, but we can still be better."

Eastwood, which is now 10-2 on the season, was led by senior hitter Sarah Skelton with eight kills and four blocks. Skelton had six kills in the second game.